The Bells
by cakeiton
Summary: The lesson was learned and it was time for the tradition to be passed on. KakaSaku
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything Naruto.

…

The summer night was cooler due to northern winds sweeping through the city. The fresher feel of the surrendering heat had the village in high spirits. Many were out to enjoy the perfect night, but some had real cause for celebration.

"Oi, next round's on me!"

Sakura clicked her tongue towards her boisterous teammate. "Nay, Naruto. You can't show up tomorrow hungover."

"Yeah," Kiba barked from somewhere behind her. "Wouldn't want your genins to think you're a dead-last loser."

The blonde's fist shook, but his grin betrayed his threat. "I'll show you who's dead-last, you dog!"

At the end of the bar a tall, slouching man was taking cover more than socializing. The silver hair peeking out from his orange book shook as Kakashi sighed. "Why did I agree to come out, again?"

In the seat next to him, Sasuke only shrugged before taking a sip of his beer. "I am asking myself the same thing."

The medic-nin placed on a hand each on their shoulders gently, concealing the strength she was actually capable of, and leaned in to be heard over the loud patrons. "Because this is a big deal," she answered their sarcastic question. "We might be getting our own genin teams, but we will forever be Team Kakashi."

Finally, their older leader looked up from the worn pages. "Am I really saddled with you three forever?"

All of his ex-students rolled their eyes and his shoulders sank in response. "It's more like we are stuck with you, sensei," the kunoichi teased.

Despite her protests, Naruto forced another drink in Sakura's hands as he moved towards the elder nin. "Sorry to say it, old man, but you can't get rid of us that easily."

His gray eyes crinkled with his easy smile. "Clearly." However, his voice sounded a little dejected once his attention went back to the book. "And I'm not that old."

Sasuke scoffed into his glass and Sakura covered her giggles with her hand. Kakashi spared one more glance to the exasperating ninjas. "My first impression of you guys was right; I hate you."

His depreciating ire earned a bright grin from Naruto, but they knew to stop mocking him after that. Throughout the night, Sakura's cheeks refused to lose their pink hue as the alcohol warmed her over. Unable to sway the lanky bibliophile into their game, the other boys repeatedly challenged each other with silly missions and drinking penalties until the hour became late and the bar began to quiet down.

"Oh damn," the tipsy blue-eyed ninja moaned once he stood up. "Tomorrow should be fun."

"I told you, Naruto," Sakura admonished. "You need to learn how to handle your beer."

Sasuke's dark eyes glazed over and he nodded. "Seriously, dobe. You are a jonin now. You should always-" With a crash, the stool the Uchiha had been sitting on suddenly became tangled in his legs when he attempted to stand. Seething, his best friend fell over with him in uproarious laughter that made the brooding man whisper dark threats. Unconcerned, Sakura's pink hair bounced with her giggles. Honestly, she tried not to laugh, but the slip of grace was too rare of a moment. She was still snickering when she helped both of her boys up and they headed towards the door together.

"Oi, Kaka-sensei!" Naruto called back. "You coming?"

The masked-man appeared melded to his spot with his lazy posture. Shaking his head, he closed his book and grinned. "Not quite yet. Get home safe." The younger ninjas waved and turned again, but Kakashi called out to the female medic. "Oh, Sakura-chan. Can you stay for a moment please?"

The confusion that swept over her face was comical in her inebriation, but after a hasty good-bye to the other two she picked up the stool Sasuke had almost broken and took a seat next to her ex-teacher. "Everything okay?"

"Oh yes," he leaned back and crossed his long arms over his jonin vest. "I just wanted to talk, is all."

Her brow rose, but she shrugged off his odd request. "Alright, but not for too long. I don't want to be late on my first day, Kakashi-sensei." Her teasing smile was a bit loopy and the unrelenting sake-induced blush matched her hair.

He chuckled in response. "All those old ladies and poor kittens will have to do without your assistance then, Sakura- sensei."

"Ooohhh…" Her green eyes went wide hearing the title and her cheerful expression dropped. "That sounds weird."

His head tilted to the side. "How so?"

"It's silly," she tried to explain while waving her hand dismissively. "I'm no longer a genin, but hearing that title sounds like I am on your level."

He gave her a long, languid blink. "You have been a jonin long enough."

She snorted and shook her head. "Still…"

"We are equals, Sakura-sensei," Kakashi interrupted. "Don't forget that."

Her blush heightened at his compliment, and she looked away when she could not think of a response.

"Speaking of," the man started and reached into his pocket. Her face furrowed with curiosity, but her jaw dropped when she heard delicate chiming above the dimming clamor of the bar.

She searched his gray eyes for answers when he held out the two small bells that had meant so much to her and their team. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, but she managed to stutter, "W-what?"

His voice was even and deep as he lightly held the attaching string. "You might already know that my teacher gave this same test to my team when we first got out of the academy. However, it has been a Konoha tradition since before the Legendary Sannin were originally formed. My sensei received the bells from Jiraiya-sennin, who was given them from Hiruzen-sama, and so on. They have represented the importance of teamwork, camaraderie, and, of course, devious ridicule of young ninjas' delicate nerves for generations. Each teacher has used this test to discover some of the best nins in the village, and now," he held them out towards her, "it is your turn."

Her hands continued to play with the hem of her skirt instead of reaching out to claim them. "Wouldn't Naruto-"

He shook his head, disrupting her modest dispute. "No one doubts his strengths. It is true he is a powerful ninja and a steadfast warrior. More than that, he is a good friend. Naruto believes in everybody and knows the importance of teamwork, but you were the reason the team had stayed together and came back as one. Your role in Naruto's success is just as statured. Plus, you are quite accomplished yourself and understand it is better to tackle situations together than to take it all on your own." He rang the bells with a small shake of his hand. "They suit you more."

Her breaths were short and eyes glossed over with honor. Finally, Sakura tentatively wrapped her fingers around the unpretentious metal bells and held them reverently. With a nod, Kakashi stood up to leave and patted her on the shoulder as he passed.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura spun quickly in her seat and beamed. "Thank you!"

He flashed a quick smile back. "Of course, Sakura-sensei."

"Ugh," she ungracefully rolled her eyes and closed the distance between them. "That still sounds weird."

"Oh?" he feigned puzzlement and rubbed the back of his neck. "What should I call you then?"

"Well, we are friends. How about just 'Sakura'," she offered with a wide grin.

Challenging the young woman, his chin lifted. "Only if you do the same."

Sakura's bewilderment reddened her face. "That is even _worse_!"

His brow lowered in defense of his already abused ego. "Should I be insulted or flattered?"

Bringing the bells to her chest, her strong laugh filled the room. "Neither. You have just always been 'sensei'."

"Not in a long time, Sakura," he exhaled and her shoulders hitched at the lack of honorific. "We're friends, right?" He reached out and ruffled her hair, keeping his hand on top of her head until she agreed.

Her form slouched with his nostalgic gesture and her lips curled in a crooked smirk. She couldn't argue against her own insistence. "Thank you," she conceded, "Kakashi."

"Whoa," he joked. "That is weird." Together, they laughed playfully at each other's expense and without realizing it, Kakashi's fingers trailed from the top of her hair to tuck an errant strand of pink hair behind her ear. Her blush crept down her neck and she froze. Their joviality faded as something heated rose between them. He was thankful for the mask, because suddenly his face felt a bit hotter as well. They were both confused, but did not push away, and he wished she would stop staring at him.

Breaking out of the moment, Kakashi cleared his throat and immediately pushed his hand in his pockets, brushing off the exchange with his lackadaisical sigh. "Good luck tomorrow, Sakura." He made sure he took measured steps out of the bar so as not to appear he was running away.

She used another moment to come back to her senses before flying towards the door and delaying him one more time. "Sens- ur- Kakashi!"

Without a reply, the droopy man stopped walking in the middle of the road and looked over his shoulder.

Sakura struggled to find the right words. "How did you know? I mean, with Team Seven. How did you know we passed?"

A cool night breeze wafted through the narrow street and tousled his shaggy hair. His gaze followed the current out into the dark and only realized after a moment it was in the direction of the Memorial Stone. He took a deep breath and dropped his shoulders, yet the levity in his tone grew. "I asked the same question when I got them."

"And?" she prompted, unable to shake the nervous edge in her voice.

He glimpsed back her way. "Same way you'll know." Even though she could only read his smile in his eyes, she knew what he had meant. He gave her one last wave and disappeared in the shadows. With a proud gait, Sakura marched childishly in the opposite direction towards home, enjoying the jingle of the bells with every step.

…

A/N: I should have not started another long chapter story. I know this, but this idea would not give me any peace until I started. Updates will be sporadic, and I apologize in advance, but hopefully it will be enjoyable all the same.

Thanks for reading/reviewing!


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own anything Naruto.

A/N: Baka means 'idiot'. Old sesskag habits die hard :] You might see a "Keh" in there as well.

…

The short reprieve from the night ended once morning came. Relentlessly, the sun blazed down on the village hidden amongst the leaves and the high spirits from only a few hours before evaporated in the heat. Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead, exhaling tiredly as she walked down the bright and dusty road, but had an extra bounce in her step was to hear the small bells ring quietly in her vest pocket. She would stop briefly to look into shop windows or wave to friends and acquaintances lounging on rooftops, but mostly her mind was occupied with thoughts about her conversation with Kakashi. He had meant many things to her in the past, from teacher to team leader to friend, but never, until today, had she really seen them as equals. It wasn't that she was not recognized for her achievements or that she needed his acknowledgement. However, the fact that he had reached out to do so was one of the biggest compliments of her life. She did not need his approval, yet found herself enjoying it all the same. The trials and training that brought her to this moment had prepared to take on her new role as teacher, but now she felt truly ready.

A familiar chakra signature deliberately ebbed at her senses. Not bothering to slow her already leisurely pace, Sakura's glare shifted when her long time friend appeared in a flash at her side and eyed her with feigned scorn.

"You are looking too perky for such a hot day, Sakura," Ino critiqued and fanned her blonde bangs from her face.

She could not help smiling in response, as her inner self was not going to let her good mood be dragged down. "What can I say? I had a good night."

The mind-meddling ninja's blue eyes looked ready to pop from her skull. "WHAT!? I thought you went out with your boys? Who did you go home with? Please don't tell me it was that civilian medic again."

"Geez, Ino," she admonished. "Nothing like that."

"Well, then it couldn't have been that interesting."

Sakura narrowed her green eyes. "Perv."

"Prude."

"Pig."

"'Five'-head."

"Ugh!" Sakura threw her arms up. "Why are we friends again?"

Ino smiled brightly and hugged her around the waist as they walked. "Cause who else could put up with us?"

The pink-haired kunoichi giggled as they rounded the corner and approach the ninja academy.

"Oh good, the school's air conditioner is running." Ino said with relief. Their steps quickened subconsciously at the mention of climate control. "So, did you go over the files Iruka-sensei gave you?"

Sakura shrugged and waved her hand. "I just looked at their names. After having first-hand experience with Naruto's unthinkable progress, I didn't want to form an opinion before meeting them."

They reached the door and Ino held it open while she prodded, "But, aren't you at least a little curious?"

"Of course, but I figured I would let them make the first impression."

The blonde nodded, conceding, then asked, "What did Kakashi-sensei think of you guys at first?"

Sakura's steps stopped when her mind instantly went back to that first day. Naruto had set up such a simple prank, one that no jounin should have fallen for, and in her mind she cheered the loud mouth blonde on. It was a good thing Kakashi's hair was already such a light color, because the chalk dust would have been highly visible and she would have not been able to mask laughing at the masked man.

"He said he hated us," she responded with wicked mirth and continued walking.

Ino's laugh echoed down the halls. "Well, any first impression has to be better than that!"

This time, Sakura held the door as they walked into the classroom filled with antsy genin and a few of their jounin friends. "Here's hoping."

.

Iruka introduced each ninja to their respective team leaders with practiced ease and a sentimental smile. What made the teacher stand out amongst his peers was that he truly cared for each student that passed through the academy, but it made it incredibly difficult for him to shut down his professionalism come graduation day. Their job was known for its grim mortality rate and he was sending them off into deadly situations. The best he could do was to train them with all his heart and ensure they were paired with the best suited jounin teachers.

Ino had received the only single-gendered team and the three girls had looked at the blonde with wonder.

Kiba's bunch were drawing inappropriate sketches on the chalkboard behind them while Shino's shied away from the reticent man.

The room still once the name Hyuuga was announced for Sasuke's team. Hinata's little sister, Hanabi, walked up to her new sensei and they both assessed the other as enemies. The twin boys that accompanied her hung their mouths open, though it was not clear if it was because of whom they were teamed with or the hostility shown from their new teacher already. Defiantly, the young Byukugen user addressed him as, "Uchiha," deliberately foregoing the honorific. His eyes narrowed and head jerk to the side, directing her to stand behind him. Finally, after one more cold glance, she followed the order.

Next, it was Sakura's turn, and her heart jumped as green eyes searched the crowd when Iruka began calling their names.

"Suzuki Shou."

"Hai!" The boy ironically seemed mismatched with his blonde hair gathered in a high, messy plait and expressive golden eyes. His grin stretched wide on his young, tan face and he marched down the aisle with his head high to take his place behind Sakura. They nodded at each other before the next team member was announced.

"Narita Manami."

"WHAT!?"

The proud boy behind her screamed his disbelief along with a girl who sat all the way in the back with her feet propped up on the chair in front of her. Sakura's attention darted back and forth between the two and could immediately feel the tension. If Shou came across like sunshine, then Manami was ice. Her crystalline eyes were partially hidden behind shaggy, steel grey bangs that contrasted favorably with her porcelain skin. The rest of her hair was cut short and the dusty purple tunic that hung off her appeared at least two sizes too big. In fact, until she had spoken, Sakura believed she was a boy. Manami stormed to her new team, taking a spot to the jounin woman's opposite side, and both new nins began to fidget. The pink-haired konoichi's posture sank; already concerned with the kids she was in charge of.

The other kids snickered at the two until Iruka gave them a stern glare. Clearing his throat, he read off the last name.

"Hayashi Tarou."

There was no response, but a tall boy rose from his seat in the middle of the room. Sakura's eyes widened. He was not fat, but a thickly built, olive-skinned, severe looking kid with calculating black eyes that reminded her of Shikamaru's. His long, black hair was pulled tightly into a low ponytail that swayed when he walked up to his new teacher and gave her a bow. Sakura was taken aback by the gesture, but eased when he rose and gave her a smirk that only seemed to affect half of his face. One small incisor was missing and, up close, she could see the freckles that speckled his nose, softening his appearance. He took his place between the other two and the anxiety hit her hard. These were the three young ninjas who she was now solely responsible for. Their achievements and failures were her own. Their lives and their deaths, should that happen, were now completely on her shoulders. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and found it hard to concentrate on the rest of the genin assignments.

Everyone was dismissed shortly after, other than three surly children that belonged to Naruto since he had failed to show up on time. Sakura ensured them he would be along soon and hoped for karmic justice that they would prank him for his tardiness.

Once her team found a quiet clearing to talk outside, she stood quietly and looked them over. Shou's fingers were laced and resting on top of his head as he complained about the heat to the large Tarou, who only nodded every other sentence. Manami was lounging back in her makeshift seat and cleaned under her nails with a small, specially made kunai, deliberately ignoring the group. With nothing else to do other than move forward, the pink-haired sensei steeled her nerves.

"Okay, you three. I need you to each take one of these." Winking, Sakura held up thin strips of chakra paper. The boys looked at them curiously, but Manami scoffed, earning a raised pink eyebrow for the disrespect.

The girl averted her eyes and hunched. "I'm water."

"Oh!" Sakura praised, forgetting her annoyance with the dejected looking konoichi. "That is impressive that you already know, Manami-chan."

She shrugged in response, but before Sakura could ask how she knew Shou was practically bounding towards her. "Hey hey, wait, those tell you what kind of chakra you have!?"

The medic jounin took an uneasy step back and held up her other hand to keep the blonde boy from accosting her. "Hai, but more specifically your chakra affinity. You need to be able to channel your chakra correctly to activate the- HEY!"

Shou had reached around and yanked the papers from her loose grip before rushing back to Tarou. His gold eyes were wide and anxious, while the other boy looked at the slip handed to him in confusion. "Hey hey, Manami-chan," the energetic nin urged. "How do you work these?"

Her icicle eyes darkened. "How should I know?"

Shou gritted his teeth. "You just said that you-"

"That doesn't mean I will tell you."

"Stop being such a brat, Tsunami."

The kunai in her grip rammed into the hard, dirt ground and she growled. "My name is MA-nami, Baka."

"TSSSSSSUUUUUUUU-nnaaaaaaaa-MI!"

Sakura felt a vein in her forehead throb.

"Both of you," Tarou finally spoke, and his voice was deep and mischievous. "Shut up."

The new sensei was a little surprised she had not stop their confrontation sooner, but was more shocked that the fire and ice duo had immediately listened to their teammate. They both crossed their arms and turned away from the other, and Sakura was sure she heard some explicit words mumbled from the girl.

She fought the desire to rub at her temples and settled for resting her hands on her hips. "Well, if you are done, I will explain." After replacing the slip of paper Shou had crushed in a tight fist, she held up one of her own. "It takes practice, but you have to mold and channel just a small amount of chakra into the paper, and once you do," she did, and the paper altered. "It will react."

Tarou stared at his like he was interrogating an enemy nin while Shou used both hands to grip onto the special sheet tight. Manami had taken one offered to her and, after a moment of heavy concentration, the slip eventually dampened.

"Have you never used these before, Manami-chan?" Sakura asked.

The girl tried to neutralize her expression when she shook her head. "My whole family has water-based chakra, so I just already knew."

Slightly confused, her pink hair bobbed as she nodded. Usually, a history of hereditary affinity was a trait of powerful clans, but things like this weren't entirely unheard of. Perhaps, she would have to read through the files after all. She smiled at the down-casted tomboy before they were interrupted by a loud shout.

"AH-HA!" Shou was beaming and his smile stretched victoriously across his face. "Hey hey, look! I got two now!" Sure enough, the chakra paper was split right down the middle. Wind-based chakra. Sakura tried not to groan.

Shou repeated the process several times with the paper while Sakura assisted Tarou with his. He had a sufficient enough chakra, but she could tell he had a problem molding it for use. A few minutes late,r as Manami and Shou bickered in the background, Tarou's finally crumbled into dust. Earth-based. She patted him on the back reassuring and directed them all to take a seat.

"Alright," Sakura leaned against a tree for the shade, escaping the heat. "As a team we should get to know each other, not just our abilities. So, let's go around and tell each other our likes, our dislikes, and our dreams for the future." She gave them all a big smile, which was only returned by the loudest of the three.

"Hey hey, Sakura-sensei. My favorite thing being a ninja!"

"Brown-noser," Manami grumbled under her breath.

Shou growled. "And my least favorite thing is loud-mouth girls!" They shot each other a look and Tarou sighed despondently, foreshadowing Sakura's mood. "One day," he announced proudly, "I will hold the record for the most completed missions!"

The dark-skinned ninja shook his head with a low chuckle. "No one tracks that, Shou-san."

The blonde winked. "That's what they want you to think! Sakura-sensei, how many missions have you done?"

Sakura balked. If she were to tell him her estimated number, it would probably crush his dream. Instead, she smiled nervously and shook her hand. "Nay, Shou-chan, just concentrate on getting home safe."

Manami smirked. "Yeah, baka, because your tally will be in the negative numbers, anyway."

Shou jumped up to get at the still smiling girl, but Tarou grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down to the ground. The boy seethed, but acquiesced, and the peacekeeper of the group answered Sakura's standing question. "I like a lot of things alright, more than I dislike," he was vague, but his voice was smooth and low. The medic-nin could only just pick up a devious note to it as well. "And any ninja should know it is not wise to dream about the future."

Sakura sulked. What a cold kid. Her green eyes turned towards Manami, hoping to get a brighter answer, but with the short time she knew the girl it did not seem likely.

Her first impression theory was not going as well as she had hoped.

The pale konoichi nodded and answered with her off-kilter smile that exposed an elongated, and sharpened, canine. "My favorite thing is being a loud mouth girl, so I really don't like cocky boys." Tarou leveled Shou with a pointed glare to keep him from reacting. "And," the girl continued, "I will be the first in our class to make jounin rank."

"HA!" Shou brushed off the large boy. "No way! I'll get there years before you!"

Manami launched up as well to face him head-on. "Just try it, baka!"

Sakura sighed and felt her headache pulse.

"Try me right now, Tsunami!"

"Manami!"

"BOTH OF YOU," Tarou bellowed, and even the teacher stilled. "Shut the hell up!"

Yet again, they huffed and faced away from each other. Sakura rubbed the back of her neck and thought, "_Best nins in the village, huh Kakashi-sensei?_"

"Oh, Sakura-sensei," Manami beckoned, drawing Sakura out of her thoughts. "What about you?"

She paused and considered how to answer. Only now, being in his position, did she understand Kakashi's reticence back when they had asked him the same question. An adult's likes and dislikes were not like a child's. They held onto deep, deep scars and their dreams twisted into the desire to ensure those wounds would never open up again. She had known, survived, and delivered death. She had destroyed the dreams of others in the name of her own. Only Naruto could still fantasize with a child's mind, because he had a knack for making his dreams come true. So, she decided on simple answers with a cheerful voice instead. The way her eyes crinkled into a smile, reminiscent of her old sensei when he was sparring them a cruel fact of life, didn't feel as deceptive as it was. "Well, my name is Haruno Sakura. I trained under the Hokage and Kakashi-senpai. I really enjoy being with my friends and hate when they are away. It is my hope to run the hospital when Tsunade-shishou retires."

Shou lifted his head. "What about your husband?" he asked strangely.

Her mind halted. "Um, I'm not married."

"Ah," Manami teased. "What about your boyfriend?"

"What-" Sakura had the distinct impression she was suddenly being flanked. "No, no boyfriend."

Tarou raised an eyebrow and smirked with his semi-toothless grin. "Girlfriend?"

Her control snapped. "You guys…" The flush that overcame her face was only heightened by the dangerous glint in her eyes as she stared down the three young ninjas stunned into thankful silence. The other two used the bigger Tarou as a human shield as they looked up at her sudden and powerful anger. The genin were shocked by their first encounter with a jounin, however were too inexperienced to realize the impassioned fire in her glare had nothing to do with chakra.

They would learn soon enough. She was going to be nice about the bell test, but now these miniature ninja were just asking for the same sort of hell she had to endure.

"Survival training tomorrow morning," she bit between gritted teeth. "Before sunrise. Training Field 3. **Don't eat breakfast**."

Sakura stormed off, leaving her bewildered, and frightened, team to ponder what 'survival training' had meant.

When they finally caught their breaths and thought themselves safe, Shou's lip curled and he belittled, "I can see why she's not married now." It earned an appreciative chuckle from Tarou.

"Keh," Manami smiled, holstering her kunai, "I like her."

.

A pair of chopsticks dropped to the worn wooden counter in chaotic clinks as Naruto sputtered. "You did not!"

Sasuke shrugged and looked away, avoiding the sight of chewed food in the blond man's gaping mouth. "It was no different than what Kakashi did to us. One day, they might be asked to decide between the life of one teammate over the other."

Sakura tsked and interjected. "That was different, Sasuke. Holding a kunai to your throat and summoning poisonous snakes to crush a genin are not the same thing!"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke set his utensils down. "The lesson was the same and it was important." He paused to fold his hands together and rest his mouth against them in a pensive manner, as he had done so often when he was a kid. "There is no choice; it is your comrades at all cost." His abstract was quiet and held the guilt the Uchiha carried for forgetting that lesson years ago.

She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but Naruto didn't hear the last bit and began to laugh. "The poor bastard probably pissed himself!"

It was crude, but she began to smile along with him until she noticed the disgusted look on their brooding teammate's face. "Oh no, he didn't really, did he?"

The look he shot her told Sakura all she needed to know and Naruto laughed harder until a sharp elbow made its way into his ribs. Clutching his side and catching his breath, Naruto still managed to ask, "So, how did Hinata-chan's sister do?"

Sasuke looked off into space for a thoughtful moment before simply replying, "She chose wrong."

They all sat silent for a moment. Hinata herself had proven to be a loyal and strong comrade. Her steadfastness towards her friends was almost on par with Naruto's. There were rumors of Hanabi's special treatment within the clan and most of the village was anxious to see what she was capable of, especially since her older sister was passed up in favor of the younger daughter to lead the clan. The Hyuuga's history was traditional and dark, and the young girl was raised to idolize those values. Whoever had decided to put her on Sasuke's team was either mad or a total genius. He was someone who knew the burdens of a clan name. He knew what pressures the village put upon your shoulders because of the power of your eyes. Hyuugas and Uchihas alike believed blood was thicker than Konoha water. If anyone was to teach the girl different, it would be one who broke from tradition to become his own ninja, albeit the most difficult route imaginable.

However, Naruto never liked being in a contemplative mood for too long, so he quickly went into the story of his own team. "Well, at least your genin didn't leave the academy without you."

"That's because you were an hour late, dobe."

"Nay, still. We at least stayed until Kakashi-sensei showed up."

Sakura snorted. "Maybe if we didn't, he would have been on time from then on."

Naruto mouth fell open. "He was mad enough because of the chalk eraser. I can't imagine what he would have done if we were not there."

"So," Sasuke questioned with mid interest, "what did you do?"

"Chase all three of them down, is what! I had my Shadow Clones looking everywhere." The blonde gulped down another large bite. "I made them hunt my clones around for hours after that."

Sakura laughed. "Well, as loud as you are, that shouldn't have been that much of a challenge."

The blonde scoffed and leaned back in his chair to rest his intertwined fingers on his head. "Yeah, you would think."

She blinked disbelieving and the sounds from the market played routinely behind them. "What, seriously?"

He closed his blue eyes and sounded almost wistful. "They know the basics alright. They're just… not ninja, you know?"

"Neither were you," Sasuke reasoned and Naruto nodded.

Sakura, however, tilted her head and ran her fingers through her short, pink hair. "Are you going to pass them?"

Both male teammates looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?" Naruto questioned.

She was shocked at their response. "Well," suddenly, she was unsure of herself. "If you don't think they have what it takes, you aren't going to pass them, are you?"

The two men looked at each other before back at her and assuredly. "Iruka wouldn't give us genin to fail, Sakura-chan," Naruto explained in a lecturing tone that irritated the konoichi. "That is just something Kakashi-sensei did to get out of teaching."

She slumped back in her chair and glowered at her boys. The night before had meant as much to her as being praised by her shishou. She believed what Kakashi had said about the bells and what they represented. The Will of Fire was in each Konoha ninja, and that first test was the first real lesson in becoming the ninja she was today. It wasn't him foregoing his duty that caused him to fail every student until her team. He was fulfilling that responsibility to the fullest. Of course, you had to actually know Kakashi to ever claim he wasn't just being lazy. "If that is true, then why did he pass us?"

"It was the last Uchiha and the Kyuubi vessel," Sasuke rationalized a bit arrogantly. "I doubt he had a choice."

Naruto instinctually cowered when Sakura pursed her lips. "Well, then I'm glad I was just along for the ride…"

Sasuke huffed, but the apathetic teammate attempted atonement. "No no, Sakura-chan, you are an amazing ninja! I bet your genin are awed by you!" Her pointed glare told him she wasn't amused, or satisfied. He chuckled nervously, then rubbed the back of his neck and tried to shift their conversation. "What did you make them do, anyway?"

Her crossed arms relaxed. "Well, I haven't yet. I'm meeting them tomorrow morning."

"Ha," Naruto jumped on the lighter subject. "Did you tell them to skip breakfast too?"

She smiled wickedly and Sasuke's attention perked. It was no secret that Sakura had a short temper or that her chakra control was on par with the Hokage. However, very few kept it in mind at all times how clever she was. If her grin was devilish, there was sure to be hell. "What are you going to do?" he asked as his own iniquitous interest glossed his eyes.

The moment stretched purposefully and she raised her chin with a confident, and slightly smug, tilt. Her prideful shoulders squared and she reached into her vest pocket. Naruto picked up his bowl to slurp down the last of his ramen, lest he be accused of staring at her chest, right when the delicate chiming of the bells filled the silence between them.

Sasuke's eyes widened and Naruto began choking on his food again.

"Are those?" The Uchiha asked, almost indelicately.

"Yep!" Her grin broadened.

Naruto wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "How did you get them?"

She felt a familiar headache form at her temple. "How do you think?"

The men took a long moment, and a couple glances at each other, to come up with an answer. Sakura was becoming less and less amused. Finally, Sasuke looked directly in her eyes and accused, "You poisoned him?"

"What?" she could not tell if they were being serious or not at first. "No, of course not."

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed and Sakura expected his acknowledgement. "You _drugged_ him?"

She growled. "No!"

Sasuke's lip rose deviously along with his brow, ignoring the threat in front of him. "Seduced him?"

"UGH! What is wrong with you two!?" She was beginning to wonder what was wrong with everyone today. "He gave them to me."

They both stared at her in silence and she began to doubt. Suddenly, as her form slackened, she thought they would tease her. Or debase her. Or discount Kakashi's judgment. Maybe, they would even feel sorry for her as if the bells were some sort of equalizer.

Instead, after an awkward moment, Naruto looked awed. "Wow."

"Really?" Her face lit up.

Sasuke calmly reached for his drink. "It makes sense."

Her breath caught as the apprehension disappeared. Romantic notions between the two have been dead since his return to the village, but his opinion was still coveted, and his praise held weight. "Thanks you guys." She felt a rare sting in her eyes and forced herself not to cry. "That… that means a lot."

Sasuke shrugged it off, but Naruto beamed.

"So," his teasing tone was back. "Going to show up late?"

"Oh yeah," she sarcastically countered back through her laugh. "And then I'm going to read porn in public and try to kill one of them."

The raven-haired man's expression darkened. "I still believe that is an effective training method."

"Yeah," Naruto snorted. "Until your summon gets used for toilet paper."

Sakura tried to contain her giggles at the murderous glare the blonde had earned. "If my summon doesn't appear next time I call because of that, I might have to actually kill that kid."

Noticing the conversation had gone full circle, Sakura stood to leave. "Well, I have some paperwork to do and then I'm crashing early for the Bell Test tomorrow." She pocketed the bells, and the boys instinctually followed the gentle jingling until they disappeared in her pouch. It was a big deal to all of them, and the noise was nostalgic. Kakashi had jingled like that often, whenever he did not bother to silence them. They would walk down dirt roads and jump through trees to the beat of his melodious chimes. It had always made her feel safe. Tomorrow, if her rambunctious team could pass, perhaps they would hold the same fond memories of her. "You guys are more then welcome to watch tomorrow morning."

"I'm not getting up that early," the whiskered ninja declared.

"My team has a mission tomorrow," was Sasuke's alibi.

She sighed and looked at her team with a pout. "We better still see each other."

"No worries Sakura-chan." He stood the pat her shoulder reassuringly. "If his idiot's great-great-great-great grandfather's world war couldn't break us up, a couple of baby nins won't."

Sasuke made a show of gripping his katana for retaliation and Sakura shook her head, already walking away.

…

A/N: Serious lack of Kakashi. :[ I'll make up for it. Also, I didn't really edit it much. I'll go through and fix stuff when I see it (not content, grammar and flow type of stuff)

Thanks for reading/reviewing :]


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own anything Naruto.

A/N: SPOILER ALERT! If you do not read the Manga, then there are MAJOR spoilers in this chapter for installment 674-on. You have been warned.

This chapter is heavy on the dialogue. My apologies for that.

…

_Damn damn Damn damn Damn damn Damn Damn DAMN!_

Sakura, disheveled and clearly irritated, bounded over the rooftops of Konoha civilians who have endured the tell-tale noisy hammering as part of daily living in a ninja village. There were pros and cons for living within a shinobi safe haven, such as secure neighborhoods, great weather, but clumsy genin banging on your ceiling.

Of course, Sakura was not a genin. She _was_ late, however, and forwent her usual chakra controlled silent footfalls to concentrate on piecing herself together in some semblance of a responsible, dedicated jonin.

_DAMMIT!_

A tangle caught as she attempted to smooth down her hair. The team's bento boxes strapped to her back clambered and clamored with every jump. Growling, she clumsily tried to tie her hi-taite for the third time while her unzipped green vest obstructed her movement. The late morning sun had already heated the day to an uncomfortable swelter and a bead of sweat rolled into her eye. So, when she hopped on one foot to secure her sandal on the other, she did not see the electrical wire directly in her path.

Her leg caught on the cable, causing her body to jerk awkwardly and tumble forward. With a surprising amount of grace that she did not think herself capable of that morning, Sakura barely made it out of a flip to land shakily on her feet. Dizzy, she stood fully up and made a quick effort to orient her senses before rushing off, but an unexpected noise threw her off balance once again. Maybe she was still asleep and dreaming, because the tardy kunoichi swore a tall oak tree directly ahead was laughing at her.

Sakura looked up to find the amused party and, sure enough, high up in the shade of the billowing leaves, was Kakashi reclined comfortably on a heavy branch.

His deep and sardonic voice called down to her. "Did you get lost on the path of life, Sakura?"

Sulking, her shoulders slumped forward as the karma burned her ego. "Do you have any better lies than that? I need to have an actual reason."

With a muted thump, his book closed. "It is as good an excuse as any."

"I don't know." She swayed her pink bangs out of her eyes and smiled teasingly at the older jonin. "The lost cat one seemed less flaky."

His lanky limbs sagged as he leapt from the branch to land silently at her side. Somehow, even with his terrible posture, Kakashi always controlled his body with ease and Sakura briefly wondered how it was possible to make 'lazy' an art form. He sighed and feigned offense. "Was I flaky?"

The medical ninja pursed her lips as her head shook in thought. "Not flaky. Maybe…" She exaggerated each tap to her chin and he chuckled at her jest. "Maybe 'unenthused' is a better word."

His eyes smiled and hands went into his pockets. "Ah. That might be a fair judgment."

Feeling less frantic, Sakura laughed and cocked her head towards the training fields. "I do have to get running. I am really late and my team probably thinks I'm already bored of them."

She only got a step forward when Kakashi's tone delayed her. "I never thought you three were boring."

The gravel slid harshly underneath her sandals as she skidded to another stop. Her brow furrowed together and, curious about the brief flash of unguarded guilt in his voice, Sakura glanced over her shoulder to her ex-teacher, who was looking towards the ground but staring off into space. "Kakashi-sensei," she began cautiously, "do you want to come and watch?"

Confusion replaced whatever was going through the silver-haired man's mind and his head rose up. "Watch what?"

"The Bell Test," she declared, and her chest swelled as she did. "That's what I'm late for."

Kakashi's unfocused eyes glazed over for a moment. The darkness of his life was well known around Konoha. Most, when they see the expression he wore now, believed he was trapped in a memory or being plagued by a demon from his past. Sakura knew better. When he finally blinked languidly and smiled once again, the kunoichi deduced that there was some responsibility he was avoiding, and her offer had successfully allowed him to escape it. "Lead the way," he tapped her nose as he passed towards the training ground, "Sakura-sensei."

She huffed, as if seriously assaulted, and rubbed her nose. "That's still weird."

"I'll stop when you stop."

She sighed, but Sakura's smile spread wider. "Fine. Do you want to race there, Kakashi?"

The glint of performing countless conniving and underhanded missions flashed in his eyes. "First one there gets to eat their lunches."

Before she could protest, he had already disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

.

Sakura attempted to reign in her frantic panting, but it was no use. Even after all her progress, Kakashi was much faster than her. In fact, when she appeared at the training ground, startling three already timid looking genins, the silver-hair bastard was leaning against one of the balancing posts and reading like he had been there for ages.

"Show off," she grumbled.

"Slow poke," he retorted, then turned the page.

It was then that she noticed he was gleaming. "Why are you wet?"

The indolent air he gave off suddenly stormed over, and he looked towards her young team with death in his eyes. "History repeated itself."

Shou scoffed. "It was meant for Sakura-sensei."

"You pranked him!?"

"You were late!" the energetic boy explained. "And a jonin isn't supposed to fall for-" Suddenly, he recoiled when Kakashi's ruthless glare focused solely on him.

Sakura's shoulders sank. "I'm a jonin, too." But her personal dilemma had gone unnoticed.

The boys were still focused on the silver-haired masked man when Tarou finally spoke. "I think that's Copy Ninja Kakashi."

"WAIT!" Manami reveled herself from behind the bulkiest of the group. "Is _he_ what you meant by Survival Training!?"

"Well," Shou idiotically discerned. "He really isn't the Copy Nin anymore, though."

"Oi!" Sakura attempted to interject.

Tarou continued, not hearing the threat in her voice. "It's hard to believe he once had an eye scarier than the ones he has naturally."

The teacher's temple throbbed and her ex-teacher's heavy sigh deliberately insulted the young ninjas as he tried to brush off the insult. "They don't look like much of a challenge. Care to borrow my book, Sakura?"

He probably expected her to blush. She was quite proud of herself when she glared unamused at him instead. "We will be just fine, Kakashi."

With a gasp, and a slight hint of veneration, Tarou paled. "It IS him!?"

Shou seemed to be the only one who noticed the way his teacher's eyebrow twitched. "Maybe we should be more concerned with her."

Manami gulped. "But, he said he hated us."

"Yeah," Sakura, suddenly exasperated from being attacked at two fronts, deadpanned as her irritation gave way to troubled acceptance, "He does that." Without ceremony, the medic roughly reached for her vest pocket. Judging from the team's reaction, they believed she was going to pull out a weapon. So, not one was able to keep their edgy confusion at bay when she revealed the small bells instead.

"Do you know what the fourth rule of being a shinobi is?" she asked her young genin.

The three sat in deep thought before Manami questioned, "Always pack extra underwear?"

"No!" she scolded while the others laughed. "It is to always put the mission first. Being a ninja is not for everybody. Only thirty percent of the genin that graduate can go on to become one. The rest are sent back."

"What!?" Shou exclaimed.

Manami, with her elbows wrapped tightly to steady her arms and keep them level when she threw weapons, stiffly pointed at the bells. "Do you mean…"

Sakura nodded sternly. "If you can take a bell from me, you pass."

The peace-keeper of the group was the first to determine the full extent of their dilemma. "But there are only two."

With a small toss, the chiming keepsakes were in the air for Sakura to snatch back quickly. "Right. That means at least one of you will be returning to the academy."

"WHAT!?" With every outspoken word, her new blonde teammate reminded her of the old one.

"And I must warn you now," the sensei threatened. "Unless you come at me with the intention to kill, you won't be able to retrieve a bell."

The genin froze as the implications weighed heavily upon them.

"This sucks," Manami indecently complained.

"Wait," Shou realized, finally able to express more than disbelief. "Why did you tell us not to eat breakfast?"

On cue, Tarou's stomach grumbled and a blush darkened his olive skin.

Sakura smiled wickedly. "Whoever can get a bell by noon can eat lunch. If you can't, however," she pointed to the balancing posts by the cenopath, "you will be tied up and forced to watch your teammates eat."

Manami's stomach now protested. "This REALLY sucks."

Ignoring the girl's resentment, Sakura steadied her stance and pulled out a timer from her back pouch. "You have until noon. On my mark. Ready?"

The blonde and his physical antithesis brandished a kunai, but Tarou braced himself to flee into the brush.

"Go!"

The children blurred in front of her to escape as the exercise began. Finally feeling in control of her day, Sakura sighed and rubbed the base of her neck. "Please tell me we weren't this bad?"

Her back was to him, but Kakashi knew she was paying attention. "I feel disinclined to answer that honestly."

"…You're not a nice man."

"I've never even been accused of such."

Emotionally drained, Sakura laughed half-heartedly and tied the bells to her belt. "How did you like my speech?"

"I feel like I have heard it before." Clearly unimpressed, the silver-haired man turned yet another page.

"You disapprove?"

"I just thought you would be more original."

"Says the Copy-Ninja," she mocked.

His form drooped. "Ex-Copy-Nin, apparently."

Sakura finally looked up to her long-time teammate in penitence. "Obviously it doesn't make you less formidable."

"Perhaps just less notable, then," he tonelessly remarked, but she was trained to see underneath the underneath.

Kakashi, who was truly grateful for Naruto's offering, tried to keep his misgivings out of his voice. He was fearsome in his own right, yes, but he had gone almost his entire life with Obito's gift. Sakura could tell he felt a piece of himself missing, even though, ironically, it was actually a piece of him returning.

"You don't like people paying attention to you anyways," she reasoned. It might have been a callous observation, but it was true.

There was a long pause, and Sakura was not sure how he would react, but the older jonin finally smiled, genuinely, before setting down his paperback. "Well put. You better prepare yourself. I think they are going to attack soon."

Sakura snorted. "Maybe I _should_ borrow your book."

"Eh heh," he laughed nervously before he could stop himself. "Being an outside observer, I now can see how that might be inappropriate."

"I will just have to pull out my own copy, then," she teased, lifting an eyebrow and patting the pack strapped to her left.

The color drained from his face. "…What?"

"You're a bad influence, Kaka-sensei."

Just then, Tarou attacked from her right, so Sakura had no time to increase her ex-sensei's discomfort for her own amusement. Yes, she had reading material on her. No, it wasn't a Jiraiya masterpiece, but a medical text on advanced poisons.

Yet the sardonic, twisted Hatake didn't need to know that.

Sakura leapt in the air as Tarou's thick leg swung to meet her own. His arms crossed to guard his face as she came down with a weak punch, but he still tumbled a great length in the dirt after the hit. It only took one blow for him to realize he needed to stay far away from her arm's reach, so he reached for his shuriken instead. He had shrunk when Sakura caught the flying stars out of mid air and spun them around her fingers. She saw his dark skin pale before he disappeared once more.

"GAAAHHHH!"

The female jonin did not hold back her yawn as she rose an arm up and grabbed Shou's determined, and feeble, punch. The ease of her defense did not deter him, however. The blonde clumsily displayed the most basic formations that they learned at the academy as he attacked his teacher, but wound up hurting himself more than Sakura's deflections could.

"Ninja skill number one," she established haughtily once Shou's arms were twisted and pinned behind him. "Taijutsu."

Manami barreled out from the bushes. "Out of the way, Baka!"

The steel-haired tomboy forewent her special kunai to ready a standard issue one in its place. Sakura had little time to consider why before the girl blurred and appeared on her right, bringing the short blade toward her hip. Using her exquisite chakra control, their sensei lithely flipped, bringing Shou arms to her front, and pushed the boy to collide with her attacker.

The pair had the air knocked from their lungs, but Manami was the first to find it again and growled, "Get OFF me, you annoying half-wit!" With a hearty shove, Shou fell backwards and she lifted herself up. "I'm not going back to the academy because of a wannabe ninja like you."

After pushing himself to his feet, Shou seethed and spit the dirt in his mouth dangerously close to his teammate. "You'll have to beat me to the bells in the first place."

Sakura wanted to admonish the two, but that would go against the point of the exercise. They had to show that they had the spirit of teamwork within them naturally. The pride of being passed the bells faded as her heart dropped believing that, perhaps, she would have to fail this team.

Gritting her teeth, Manami brought her face an inch away from her blonde rival's. "As if a BAKA like you could even _see_ the bells."

Tarou appeared between his two quarrelling teammates. "Would you two stop, already? I don't know whether to let you kill each other or get you a private room."

Thoroughly horrified, Shou's mouth dropped open. Manami, red-faced, chose to storm on Sakura again. A swift fist launched for her ribs. The girl's body contorted in lithe movements as she kicked and punched, but all she met was air. Her method was fluid, which clashed with the teacher's abrasive head-on style, yet the genin was already tiring and the jonin used her forceful attack to crack the ground under her feet before the difference in technique could catch the medic off guard.

The ice-eyed girl gasped as the ground crumbled beneath her, but was saved from being buried alive when Tarou jumped in and threw her into the tree line. On a jagged edge of Sakura's latest terrain modification, the tall, perverted boy curved his thin lips into a half-smile, revealing the gap from his missing tooth, and readied to attack.

Sakura knuckles cracked when she tightened her gloves.

One day he would tower over her, but now, even big for his age, the genin only came to her shoulders. If she had to classify his method, it would be a cross between street brawling and school yard scuffle. She was almost embarrassed how effective it was proving to be. The boy had clearly studied the hardest while at the academy and trained hard. He lacked the hard eyes and quick responses of a child born into a ninja family, but his enthusiasm was genuine. This was a kid who had wanted to become a ninja. With every deflected punch and dodged kick, Sakura understood him more and more.

During their short fight, she was reminded of her own determination at his age when she had joined the academy.

He was finally kicked down and tousled in the rocks until he collided with a protesting Shou. "Ugh! What good is grabbing some stupid bells for our ninja skills?"

The pink-haired ninja stood straight and answered seriously, "Rule number three: A shinobi must never question their commander."

"Hyoton!" A high voice shouted from the tree tops behind her. "Kōri no Senbon!"

"Eh!?" Sakura indelicately questioned aloud, and was shocked to see her breath mist. Manami charged from the leaves, an arrogant smirk stretching across her pale face, and directed a storm of ice needles at her pink-haired target. Surprised, the jonin women took one step back, but quickly recovered her ground and sealed a counter move.

"Doton: Doryouheki!"

The thick earth wall thundered from the shattered ground. Shou and Tarou fell from the rumbling caused, and Manami could not evade in time. The chiming of shattering glass rang out in the training field as the ice weapons collided with the wall, followed quickly by the loud thump, and colorful curse, as the tomboy hit as well.

The teacher was impressed that one of her students already had the capability to mold chakra for jutsu use, especially ones as rare as ice. However, she kept all esteem out of her demeanor. Casually, Sakura announced, "Ninja skill number two; Ninjutsu," while wiping the dust off her medic skirt as the boys escaped back into the foliage. Then she reared back her fist, punched through the mud barrier, and pulled a stunned Manami through to her side. "But it seems you have already learned a thing or two."

The girl sneered and fought against her sensei's hold, kicking the air fruitlessly. "Not enough, apparently."

"Don't worry." Sakura flashed her a cheerful smile. "It's nothing another round at the academy can't help you with."

The sound of the girl's teeth grinding together grated the medic's ears, but she had no time to scold her on proper dental care. Manami brought one knee to Sakura's side and reached towards the bells on her belt with a tightly wrapped hand. Clicking her tongue, the pink-haired kunoichi waved a finger in her face before tossing her over her shoulder. The screams echoed in the clearing from the flying female until she landed harshly back by the cenopath.

Sighing, Sakura dusted her hands off and turned to detect her outmatched genin students. Although it wasn't much, there was more to each of them then what she was expecting. The most important aspect, however, was still missing between the three. She whispered to herself, "I underestimated Kakashi-sensei's patience," before taking to the tree line.

Across the clearing, Shou and Tarou collapsed behind a bush, panting and swearing their misgivings over the survival training.

"Did you see what she did to the ground?" The blonde's voice cracked as he strained for breath and golden eyes widened. "The woman's fist causes freaking earthquakes!"

"Her taijutsu is really fast too." The darker boy solemnly observed while he rubbed a sore spot on his shoulder. "And brutal."

"I guess this is what a jonin is."

"I have a feeling we haven't even seen her full potential." Tarou strained to look over the bush, hoping to catch sight of their sensei.

Vexed, Shou threw his hands up. "Then how are we supposed to get the bells!?"

The inky-haired genin stilled before slowing turning his attention back to the exuberant teammate. "You want us to get them, and forget about Manami?"

The other boy sulked. "She isn't really including us, is she?"

"She doesn't really include anyone," the larger one reasoned.

The guilt of abandoning their female partner began to weigh on his bright mood. "…She did save us back there, though."

"Yeah," Tarou agreed, once again taking it upon himself to act as look-out. "She didn't have to give her position away. We were in real trouble."

"I still don't like her."

"I'm not sure I like you."

Shou snarled and Tarou rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" the shorter ninja yelled. "Get a damn bell on your own, you tank!" He stood up to storm off, but a weak cry diverted their attention.

"Ta-Tarou-chan... Shou…" a feeble voice pleaded. "Help me…"

Both boys turned towards the tormented girl and froze. Manami, beaten, bloody, and broken, crawled weakly their way. "Help… She is serious." She coughed, and crimson blood splattered to the ground. "Sakura-sensei is going to kill us."

The large, black-haired boy tried to stand, but his knees gave out on him. His lower jaw shook as he fought to find the words to convey his fear. "Holy shi-"

"Heh," Shou scoffed, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "Serves her right."

Tarou's mouth dropped with the blonde boy's blatant disregard to Manami's condition. He knew they did not like each other, but it seemed too cold-hearted…

Then, the energetic genin rolled his eyes and said, "If only…" Quickly, he brought his hands together, molded his chakra, and yelled, "Ninja skill number three, right Sensei?… KAI!"

Kakashi, still resting on his branch above the cenopath, was genuinely impressed as the illusion released. Sakura was one of the most developed genjutsu users since Kurami, yet even she did not notice them right out of the academy. The kid was spastic, but this could possibly be a sign of potential. Perhaps her team was not a total loss.

Immediately, his short-lived praise was deflated as a flash of gray and silver caught his eyes. Manami, dizzy from the impact but recovering quickly, rushed from tree to tree as she slowly made her way towards the Memorial Stone… and the bento Sakura had brought for the victors. The man sighed. It wasn't his job to intervene. In fact, it was probably a bad idea. However, Sakura was at the other edge of the training field, and memories of catching Naruto in the same position sent a pleasurable wave of nostalgia through him.

It had been damn funny to tie that brat to the post so many years ago.

The shoulder of her over-sized tunic fell off one shoulder as Manami appeared in front of the cold lunches. Her stomach growled and her smile widened once she sat down to enjoy a quick snack while the others were busy.

"Keh," she rationalized with herself. "Ninjas need to be sneaky, right?"

Suddenly, a small pop and hazy cloud materialized above her before the chopsticks could reach her lips. "Yo," Kakashi joyfully addressed from his perch on top of the monument.

Her shoulders jumped, but by the time she turned towards the elder ninja she was seething.

"You know," he playfully bated, "for a natural ice-user, you are rather hot-headed."

Manami scoffed dismissively. "Is being lame an old people thing, or something? My grandpa used to make the same joke."

The threat in Kakashi dark eyes made the girl drop her stolen bento.

A small gust of wind blew across the now sweltering field as the noon sun beat relentlessly down on the exposed area. Any animal that wasn't scared off by the sparring were now startled away as the timer Sakura had set up went off, signaling the end of the first Bell Test.

The two boys struggled fruitlessly in her grip as Sakura brought them back to the posts with a smile on her face. Once she was in front of the posts, she dropped the grimy, beaten boys down to the ground. Shou might have seen through her genjutsu rather quickly, but they were still no match for her man-handling. They groaned once they hit and the sensei sighed as she stripped off her gloves. "Now, where is the third…"

Kakashi then stepped out from behind the Memorial Stone holding a fuming Manami by her belt, completely undisturbed by her struggles and said, "I caught one trying to eat my lunch."

Sakura joked back, even though she sensed the fear her squad emitted at their combined presence. "Oh? And what punishment do you recommend?"

"1000 Years of Pain?" he suggested. The exposed part of his face crinkled in a sadistic smile before turning back to the quivering genin in his grip. "I would be very afraid. She is a medical professional, after all, and this technique is rather invasive."

Her silver eyes bulged as her imagination ran wild until Shou stepped forward, his knees shaking with the excess adrenaline brought on by his fear. "Let go of Manami."

Sakura and Kakashi looked at the steadfast blonde in bewilderment. His dislike for the girl was obvious, but now he stood by his comrade in defense regardless.

"You idiot!" she berated and swung at Kakashi. "Get the bells!"

Tarou scoffed from the dusty ground before standing up, imposing over the other boy's form. "Do you really think we will let you sacrifice yourself so we can get them?"

She growled in Kakashi's stunned gripped. "Like I would do that for you two idiots."

Shou shook his head, but a grin and kunai rose simultaneously. "What good are the bells if you are in danger?"

As the genin boys readied to attack the opposing jonin, Sakura glimpsed over at her ex-sensei. The reach of his arm extended fully outward, and he either casually avoided or easily deflected the random strikes the pale girl tried to deliver, but his attention was mostly focused on the other two, who were banding together for the sake of their teammate.

The cold kunoichi, however, did not perceive the sentiment. "We are supposed to be in danger, baka!"

"Heh," Tarou smirked and whistled through to small gap in his teeth. "There's no point in grabbing a bell if you go back to the academy."

Manami balked and Kakashi blanked.

"You saved us back there," Shou squared his shoulders towards the pink-haired nin. "Now it's our turn."

The boys' eyes focused on each target and, as Manami gasped, they charged. With the desire to protect, their movements were faster. Sakura still easily countered each basic move Shou delivered, but his heart was in every attack in a way that wasn't prevalent before. The olive-skinned genin came down upon Kakashi brutally, somehow mixing his singular harsh style with hero worship as he swung and receded whenever the man would push back. Within her mind, the kunoichi recited the rules she was supposed to instill in her charges and felt like she was the ace student at school once again. "_Rule 15. A shinobi must see the underneath under the underneath…_"

She had grown quickly from the studious bookworm that knew nothing of conflict to a caring member of a team. Knowledge was important, but so was experience, and looking upon the exhausted genin, Sakura made her decision.

Following a nod in her old teammate's direction, the next attack held little back and both boys were hurled to the ground, grunting in pain and the struggle to gain their breath. Without regard, Kakashi tossed Manami into her beaten comrades and they fell backwards yet again to the dirt. Sakura stood above them, hands on her hips, with a menacing frown that wrinkled the diamond gracing forehead. The pink-sensei let the weight of their failure darken her voice. "You three…" Their shoulders hunched as they cowered, dreading her next words.

Kakashi groaned once her head tilted to the side and expression brightened. "… Passed!"

Their emotions were still playing catch up when Sakura continued. "Congratulations; you are now officially ninja."

Shou was the first to shout. Their fears abated, the others quickly joined in the celebrating and ignored the older shinobi. Kakashi, shaking his head at their familiar antics, walked up to Sakura. "You held back."

"You're one to talk."

His brow rose, puzzled.

Knowingly, she grinned. "You might have gotten wet, but your book was dry."

He returned her expression with approval. "You are good at seeing underneath the underneath."

"Well," the medic turned towards the exit and paused to rest a hand on the tall man's shoulder. "I had a decent teacher."

Grinning, he followed Sakura out of the training field. "Decent? I was terrible."

The young kunoichi's laugh echoed in the cenotaph clearing along with her newly approved team's joviality.

…

Thanks for reading/reviewing. :]

*SPOILER ALERT*

A/N: I love this chapter, and I will tell you why: I HATE that Kakashi lost his Sharingan. Hate it. HATE. IT. So, this chapter is somewhat therapeutic. Cathartic, even.

Still… Not only are eye transplants an easy maneuver now, but regrowing eyes is as simple as, "Look at me, I'm the Kyuubi/Reincarnation of the Six Path's Son/Such a Mary Sue I might as well be on Uchiha's nuts because emo Sasuke is the perfect manmeat for all my awesomeness." *rant*

…I'm not bitter, really.

Also, keep writing that NaruSasu… I love it.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own anything Naruto.

A/N: Short chapter is short.

…

"OI!" the loud, rough voice called out over the bustling crowd of early morning shoppers. "KAKA-SENSEI!"

The older jonin sighed, but did not look up from the worn pages of his book, and continued his pace. Kakashi fought the urge to disappear into the crowd and allowed Naruto to flash at his side. The powerful young man bright smile beamed with the already hot sun and his hands entwined to rest on the top of his blonde head as he fell into step with his old teacher.

"Naruto," he addressed with a small grin, but his attention never strayed from the book that blocked his line of sight. It used to intrigue the young genin that he had never tripped on anything. "You are up rather early. I don't think the ramen stand is even open."

The future hokage scoffed, not recognizing Kakashi's sarcasm. "Tell me about it. Maybe when I have more pull around here I can talk them into a breakfast menu."

"Your abundant business should be influence enough."

His whiskered face twisted in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing." Kakashi smiled again.

Side-stepping a rowdy child running past, Naruto's attention was brought back to the true subject. "Oh, you haven't seen three little hellions around here, have you?"

His silver brows rose as he turned the page. "Your team, I take it?"

"Yeah," he all but growled in response. "I know we weren't this awful for you."

Jokingly, the taller man cleared his throat. "You say that like you three still don't give me endless grief."

"Oi! You like having us around."

"Which, apparently, you can't say the same for your team."

The young man groaned, which was easier to hear as they left the marketplace to venture through the narrow alleyways of the Hidden Leaf. "Was teaching this difficult for you?"

His answering shrug lifted the weighted jonin vest in his reply. "They say the only true measure of your performance as a teacher is how well your students do in the same role."

"But Sasuke threatened to kill them and I was late for our first arranged meeting… Oh…" Clarity struck Naruto. "Maybe they are right."

Unamused, he glowered into the pages. "Perhaps the quality of the students should be taken into greater consideration."

"In that case," the blonde jonin sulked, "I'm doomed. At least Sasuke got Hinata-chan's sister."

To this, Kakashi's dark eyes finally lifted from the printed words to glance towards the other nin. He remembered being assigned Sasuke because of the optical power they shared. Perhaps Tsunade was thinking along the same lines when she gave the Uchiha a Hyuuga prodigy. Regardless, this was probably not going over well at the girl's compound, since their negative stance on Sasuke's reintegration into Konoha was well known.

"Sakura showed us the bells," Naruto suddenly said seriously.

The book snapped closed and found its place in the silver-haired man's pouch. He waited for the shinobi to continue his thought, but the next few paces remained quiet between them.

And then, he smiled so wide dimples formed between his whiskered markings. "She is going to be a great teacher."

Kakashi grinned back. "She already performed the Bell Test."

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. "That was yesterday, huh? Did you go watch?"

With a nod, he shoved his calloused hands deep into his pockets and lamented the sticky heat of the abnormally warm summer.

"Aaannnnd?" the vibrant man bated, and Kakashi could still see the twelve-year old boy in his eyes.

"Sakura passed them. That is what matters," he answered simply, earning a frown from Naruto.

"But, what are they like? I hear," his large hands fidgeted. "I hear that they cause a lot of trouble."

The Hokage Tower only stood a few meters away and he could tell from the chakra signatures inside that Sakura was among those receiving missions for the day. Her last D-Rank assignment was probably his last one as well, though he could not remember what is was. She was going to hate it, but all her other skills aside, she was a master of perseverance. The corner of his mouth curled without him knowing exactly why when he brought his attention back to Naruto and thought about all she had to cope with in her younger years because of her teammates. "I am pretty sure it is not anything she cannot handle."

.

Sakura bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, anxious for her team's first assignment, and slightly impatient with her shishou's unorganized delay. Tsunade lifted a pile of papers and swore under her breath as she searched for the mission scroll to be delegated out to the younger medic's genin. The open windows allowed whatever air could drift in, but the heat wave stifled even the strongest breezes and the effect agitated the already unstable leader.

"SHIZUNE!" the Slug Princess screamed, and all three children jumped at the strength of her voice. "Why is nothing ever where I put it!?"

"That's the problem, Tsunade-sama," her lifelong retainer and friend countered as she resumed the search. "Everything is exactly where you leave it."

The blonde's red lips pursed. "Perhaps I just need better help around here."

Shizine rolled her eyes, Manami chuckled, and Sakura gave the young girl a none-to-gentle pop to the back of her head.

Finally, the thin scroll was found and Tsunade relayed the team's mission; D-Rank, within Konoha's limits, and outside. The gardening they were tasked for the afternoon was highly anti-climatic, but, remembering how sharp Fire Nation cats' claws could get, Sakura was grateful at least it was animal-free.

"Alright," the Hokage finished while wiping sweat from her forehead. "Are there any questions?"

"Yeah," Manami began, and Sakura felt her limbs go numb. She had ordered them not to say anything. "Why do you have Sakura-sensei's forehead diamond thing?"

The master medic's irked expression wrinkled her brow. "I don't. She has mine."

Tarou questioned, "What does it do?"

"It stores up chakra in the guise of a henge." Her polished blonde eyebrow twitched as she casted a bothered look towards her old student, who felt the situation quickly spiraling out of her control.

"Oh," Tarou figured. "So you don't really look like that."

"What's different?" Shou finally spoke.

"I bet she isn't a blond," Manami criticized while crossing her arms.

Sakura heard the familiar sound of a sake dish crumble in her shishou's hand.

The genin, however, were not conditioned for this noise, and Tarou continued to assess the henge's use. "It has to be an age thing."

Shou chuckled and jabbed an elbow in the perverted raven-haired teammate. "No, it's got to be the boobs, huh?"

A vein began to pulse in the Hokage's temple and she stood up, gritting her teeth, when the oblivious icy girl scoffed. "Of course not, Baka. If that were the case, then Sakura-sensei would have some."

Shizune instinctually backed herself into a quiet corner as both ferociously strong, and famously short-tempered, medics mirrored each other's anger at the cowering young team.

Immediately after saying his farewell to Naruto, Kakashi felt the spike of familiar chakra from the building behind him and, when the following crash echoed out the Hokage's open windows, he hid deeper into his book while quickly retreating away. He was not sure what caused the outburst, but the man knew he did not want to be involved in any way.

.

Sakura slumped in the hard chair at her old team's favored bar. The grime from her day remained caked in random patches over her normally immaculate uniform. Her knees were dirty, which was normal for any farming mission, but the smudged circles at her temples from where she had to will away several headaches was not. The owner knew his patrons and set down an unrequested, but welcomed, second carafe of sake right when the chilled alcohol that soothed her heated nerves was finished greedily.

"Rough day, Sakura-sensei?"

She scowled Kakashi's way, but didn't have the energy tease back. "This must have been absolute torture for you."

"Oh?" He leaned deep into the bar's seat, crossing his arms and feigning interested in the selection lining the wall.

"If I get this annoyed at having to do D-Rank missions, then you must have wanted to pull out your hair."

He laughed, and the deep timbre of his amusement lolled her temper, slightly. "Well, you are a much better teacher than me."

Exasperated all over agaion, she rolled her eyes. "You know, Kakashi, the only person who thought you were a bad sensei was _you_."

His face remained forward, but eyes darted her way. They remained silent, staring at the other companionably, until Sakura snorted and took another sip of sake. Wordlessly, she offered him a drink by lifting the small jug his way. Once he gave her a nonchalant nod in response, Sakura leaned over the bar to grab a second cup and poured out a healthy helping for both of them.

She went back to her own glass and looked into space, her eyes glazing over as she thought about her team and the disaster that was their first mission. The silence was broken as she began ranting to her silent drinking partner. They did not cooperate with each other. Manami and Shou purposefully fought. Tarou bullied the client's child. They were all restless, but inexperienced for anything more. Sakura groaned after several minutes and hung her head, only then realizing he had not responded in any way. Curious, she turned back to Kakashi. His sake was still untouched and he was regarding her with a narrowed, curious gaze.

She swallowed the dry, sweet liquid. "What?"

"I thought you were offering a drink to try to see under my mask."

Her green eyes widened and they once again stared at the other. Then, she smiled. And her lips began to quiver. And the next moment, she could not stop laughing. His shoulders hung low as hers shook. The crestfallen expression in his uncovered eyes furrowed his brow with the unrelenting, and accusatory, glare.

"I'm sorry!" She tried to explain between giggles, waving her hands in the air. "No, I'm sorry," but she laughed again and he was clearly starting to get angry. "It's just, I haven't thought about that in such a long time."

"This game is no fun if you three aren't interested."

Sakura took in a deep breath to catch hers. "We know a lost cause when we see one."

"I'm a lost cause, now?"

"We are convinced your face is just a mask, some ninja henge technique gone wrong."

"There was once a time you respected me."

"Well, Kaka-sens- ur – Kakashi, if it will make you feel better, maybe after a couple more pours I can get underneath _your_ underne- …**_oh_**…"

He leaned forward. The girl's flirting technique gone wrong shocked away any irritation he was feeling and he grinned at her blush. She turned away, deeply embarrassed, and the heat in her cheeks began to rise to anger when the laid-back man started laughing. Suddenly very annoyed, Sakura shot a deadly look his way to notice that his sake was gone and he was looking rather pleased with himself.

Her anger quelled and she sighed instead. She didn't know when their friendship took on the flirting quality, but the innocent fun made him seem more accessible her feel more mature.

But, not mature enough to stop playing the game.

"Another?" she asked with a coy tilt to her voice.

Kakashi crinkled his exposed eyes in an innocent smile. "Please."

…

A/N: It's KakaSaku week and I am loving it. The sun is finally shining in Oregon, but I can't get off tumblr.

YESIHAVETUMBLRDON'TJUDGEME #kakasaku #shameless fangirl #i'll go down with this ship #murdoch


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